How To Protect Gmail Account From Security Threats

Email protection has become a vital part of the digital realm. With the rise of Gmail users, hackers are attracted more than ever to find and misuse loopholes in the email systems. Today, we will look at some basic tips and tips for Gmail protection. This will be specifically useful for people who have just started using Gmail as a way of exchanging emails.

Before we move forward, let us look at a bigger picture of what is happening in the email exchange arena. Services like Gmail use a method of transporting emails between two ends of the system. Since the internet is composed of several layers through which a packet of data is transported, it becomes dependent on how secure each of these layers is. So, we can establish that the entire email system is as secure as the most insecure link.

Now, Gmail is one of the many companies that provide free email services. They rely on the same internet infrastructure that is used by rest of the companies. This does not necessarily mean the servers where data is stored are also common. Gmail has its own huge farms of servers where your emails are securely stored. However, as we mentioned before there are more than one players in the whole process, at times Gmail itself might not have control over securing each and every end of this process.

This is why it becomes more important for the user to keep a track of various security measures to stay safe online. In this Gmail protection article, we will also discuss what kind of threats are lurking in the process.

Gmail Protection – Security Threats for Gmail users

Either you are a basic Gmail user of someone with a lot of daily email related activities, you are always exposed to potential threats due to the loopholes in the infrastructure of the world wide web. Some of these threats are linked to the security of the device a user uses to access Gmail. For example, if the device is infected with a virus, it wouldn’t matter how hard your password is.

Viruses are of many kinds. The ones that infect your computer and steal data enter your computer either through a compromised website or through a USB storage device. Viruses are designed in a way that they can easily transfer to other devices when a user uses the infected USB storage devices with multiple systems. At times these viruses are so advanced, even the best antivirus software is not able to recognize them.

The second threat is the internet browser itself. Often users install various plugins and extensions to increase their productivity. For example, someone who downloads videos a lot might use a plugin that helps in downloading videos. This kind of feature doesn’t come packed with a standalone internet browser which is why users refer to third-party developers who provide such plugins and extensions. It is very much possible that the plugin steals your password and other important information related to your Gmail account.

Once your password is compromised, hackers can get access to your private and confidential data stored in your email account. Hacked accounts are used to perform illegal activities, spreading spam messages and malicious tools. Therefore, Gmail also advises its users to keep an eye on the security from the user end.

Tips for Gmail protection

As a beginner, users can keep in mind the following tips to secure their email accounts. All of these tips are very basic yet useful. These tips and tricks do not include any technical background. A basic user can easily follow the tips to secure account to a huge extent.

Strong Password:

First and foremost, the account password must be kept strong. Do not use names and common words. For example, if you are from New York, it is a bad idea to set your password to “ilovenewyork”. A hacker can guess such passwords by tracking your profile. On top of that, there are tools that keep trying different combinations and if the password is a weak one, it would take hardly a minute to guess it.

Secure PC:

It is important to keep your personal computer or device free of viruses. You can install a reliable virus program and scan the system for any potential threats. Before you run a scan, it is a good idea to update the virus database. What this means is that every day new viruses are designed by hackers and antivirus has to be up-to-date so it could recognize the threat.

Uninstall insecure plugins:

Whatever browser you are using, keep a track of the plugins you are using. Go through each extension and think if you really need that plugin. If there is a plugin that you use once in a while then it is a good idea to only enable it at the time of need. Rest of the time, you can disable it. It will also help speed up your browser performance.

Enable 2FA:

2FA stands for 2-factor authentication. It is a method that restricts unauthorized people to access your account even if they have your password. The user can only log in by entering a second unique pin that is sent at the time of login via SMS. This is one of the important tips for Gmail protection.

Don’t open spams emails:

And finally, do not open spam emails. This also includes emails from an unknown sender asking you to click a link or download a zip folder. Such emails may infect your system and compromise your account.

The five above tips and tricks count to almost ninety percent of basic Gmail protection guidelines. There are however advanced methods as well that a user can follow to add a further layer of protection to the email account.

As a beginner Gmail user, you need to take care of these practices on a regular basis. Hackers always find new ways to compromise Gmail accounts. Therefore, a slight negligence to the account protection guidelines can lead to your account getting hacked.

We already know the consequences of a Gmail account getting hacked. Additionally, it is very much possible that you may never get control over the hacked account.

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